Lecture Notes: 25 Interesting Facts About Countries

General Introduction

• There are nearly 200 nations in the world.
• Each nation has unique and interesting trivia.

Fact 25: Anthem of Leonia

• Leonia's official anthem: A stone dropping into water and choir-like vocals.
• Not officially recognized, so not played at the Olympics.

Fact 24: Largest City in the World

• Largest city by population: Tokyo.
• Largest prefecture-level city: Nagchu, China (over 170,000 square miles, 89 townships, 25 towns, 1,200 villages).

Fact 23: Most Sheep Per Capita

• Faulklands Islands: Ratio of 100 sheep per person (total population: 3,200; sheep: ~490,000).
• Also home to around 1 million penguins.

Fact 22: Iceland's Military

• Iceland has no army, most peaceful country.
• NATO member, allows stationing of foreign troops.

Fact 21: Brazil's Name Origin

• Named after the pau-brasil tree (Brazilwood).
• Portuguese used it for red dye in the 16th century.

Fact 20: Happiest Language

• Spanish is considered the happiest language (most positive bias).
• Study based on usage of positive words.

Fact 19: Driest Place

• McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica: No rain for over 6 million years.
• Extreme conditions with strong winds and average temperature of -4°F.

Fact 18: Greenland and FIFA

• Greenland can't join FIFA due to bad weather making natural grass fields impractical.
• It’s an autonomous territory of Denmark.

Fact 17: Bulgarian Head Nod

• In Bulgaria, nodding means 'no'.
• Historical origin: Bulgarian defiance against Ottoman Empire.

Fact 16: Armenia and Christianity

• Armenia was first country to adopt Christianity officially (301 CE, St. Gregory the Illuminator).
• King Trdat III converted after being healed by Gregory.

Fact 15: Cleanest Air in Tasmania

• Cocon, Tasmania has the cleanest air globally.
• Used by scientists as an air quality baseline.

Fact 14: Women's Representation in Rwanda

• 61% of Rwanda's parliament are women.
• 2003 Constitution mandates 30% of positions for women.

Fact 13: Vatican City Citizenship

• No one is born a citizen of Vatican City.
• Citizenship is limited to high-ranking officials and is not inheritable.

Fact 12: Free Wine Fountain in Italy

• Caldari di Ortona has a free and open wine fountain since 2016.
• Situated at the end of a famous walking trail.

Fact 11: Statue for Mice in Russia

• Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk: Statue honoring mice for scientific contributions.

Fact 10: Highest ATM

• Located at 15,396 ft in Pakistan, at the border with China.
• Guinness World Record holder.

Fact 9: Shortest Street

• Ebenezer Place, Wick, Scotland: 6'9" long.
• Only one address: Mackay's Hotel.

Fact 8: Oldest Restaurant

• Sobrino de Botin, Madrid: Operating since 1725.
• Mentioned in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises.

Fact 7: Tuvalu's Internet Domain

• Tuvalu leases its '.tv' domain for $5 million/year.
• Critical income source for the small nation.

Fact 6: Malawi's Grammy-Nominated Prison Band

• Zomba Prison Band: Nominated for Best World Music Album in 2015 Grammy.
• Formed by inmates, supported by a nonprofit.

Fact 5: No Salt in Egypt

• Adding salt to food in Egypt is considered insulting to the chef.

Fact 4: Weekend in Iran

• Weekend days: Thursday and Friday instead of Saturday and Sunday.

Fact 3: Fijian Eyebrow Communication

• Raising eyebrows in Fiji means 'yes'.

Fact 2: No Clinking Glasses in Hungary

• Stemming from Hungarian Revolution (1849), clinking glasses is considered disrespectful.

Fact 1: Origin of 'Canada'

• Misinterpretation of local word 'kanata' (meaning village) by explorer Jacques Cartier resulted in the country being named Canada.